Thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house. (Deuteronomy 26: 11)
Fall is in the air, and every day I awaken to subtle changes in the mountain landscape. Yellow leaves peek out from among the green treetops hinting at the nearness of a new season. The woods are perfumed in their musky-sweet fall fragrance. It’s only a matter of time before the mountains will come alive with splashes of golden yellow, pumpkin orange, and crimson red, as they proudly display their new fall attire.
Cooler temperatures infuse the early morning breeze, bringing a welcome relief from sweltering summer days. I start to think about pots of vegetable soup, chili, and beef stew simmering on the stove. I can almost smell pumpkin pie and nut-speckled pumpkin bread cooling on the counter. Thoughts of apple pies, apple crisps, and apple dumplings stir up memories from past autumn seasons.
I love fall, and it brings out my domestic side more than any other season. I especially enjoy autumn decorating. The house always looks more cheerful when decorated with plump pumpkins, colorful leaves, and the scarecrow dolls I stitched on my old Kenmore sewing machine decades ago while my babies and toddlers were tucked in bed for their afternoon naps.
Seasonal decorating gives us a chance to express our creativity. Like artists, we can transform our homes into a beautiful scene using the colors of fall. I believe God gifted women with an amazing talent to transform any home into a lovely place. Proverbs 31 describes a godly woman as she looks well to the ways of her household. I believe one way we can look well to the ways of our households is to make our homes look inviting and attractive for our families and guests.
She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Proverbs 31: 27
The size, shape, or location of our home isn’t important. Whether we live in a small apartment in a bustling city or a large home in the country, home is our sanctuary. It’s the place we love to come home to at the end of the day. It’s the place we go to rest and retreat from the cares of the world.
It doesn’t matter if we are single or married women, God entrusts us with the care of our homes. Seasonal decorating is a fun way to care for our homes, no matter how humble they may be. It’s also a quick way to freshen things up around the house. It’s amazing how adding a few decorative items can change the entire look of a room.
Seasonal decorating does not require massive amounts of money or a large investment of time. A simple basket of fall leaves makes a cozy and colorful centerpiece for the dining room table. A few colorful pumpkins lining the porch steps, or placed by the front door, sends a warm welcome to arriving guests. A bouquet of fresh-picked sunflowers will brighten up an entryway, coffee table, or nightstand in the bedroom. Fall decorating is as easy as bringing the things of nature indoors to create a dazzling display of color throughout the home.
As Christians, we also need to make sure our homes are decorated with our Christian values. Do we show hospitality to others by inviting them into our homes for a meal or tea? Do the movies and TV shows we watch in our homes reflect our faith? What about the magazines we subscribe to or the websites we visit? What about how we spend our time?
If someone were to visit our home, unexpectedly, would they be able to tell we’re a person of faith by what they find inside our homes? The foundation of every beautiful home is the Lord. Unless our home is built on our faith in the Lord, we labor in vain. No amount of lovely fall decorating can make up for a home that isn’t built on a solid foundation.
Unless the Lord builds the house, the workers labor in vain.
Psalm 127: 1
When I was a little girl, most of the women started their fall cleaning tasks in September. It was somewhat of a competition between the housewives of my mom’s generation to see who finished the task first. Clutter was cleared out, curtains and walls were washed, and the entire house got a thorough cleaning. This is a tradition that seems to have faded away over the years.
However, though that tradition may be a thing of the past, the autumn season is still the perfect time to give our homes a good cleaning. As we prepare to decorate with the lovely fall colors, maybe it would be a good time to take stock of our homes and see if there is anything that needs tossed out.
Maybe we need to simplify, clean out our excess, and donate items we don’t use to a local charity or give them to a family in need. Maybe we need to get rid of discontentment and stop longing for more or new or better things. Maybe we need to stop spending money on unnecessary items and donate money to a local food bank or ministry.
Maybe we need to clean up our speech and not get caught up in coarse joking, unwholesome language, or gossip within the walls of our homes. Do we need to clear out selfish pursuits and make more time to show hospitality by inviting others to our home? What about those TV shows and movies that don’t reflect our faith? Maybe it’s time for them to go, along with the magazines and websites that aren’t suitable for women who are followers of Jesus.
Once we finish our fall cleaning tasks, we need to make sure our home is built on a firm foundation of faith in Christ. With our home built on the right foundation, we can decorate and transform our home into a welcoming sanctuary enhanced by the beautiful colors of autumn.
